Judge Blocks Koi Nation Casino Plan in Sonoma County

A long-running dispute over tribal gaming in Sonoma County has taken a decisive turn after a federal judge ordered that land held in trust for the Koi Nation of Northern California be removed from federal protection. The decision blocks the tribe from moving forward with plans for a large casino and hotel near Windsor.

Good to know

• The case centers on a 68-acre parcel purchased by the Koi Nation in 2021 for $12.3 million.
• The project faced opposition from local residents, state leaders, and nearby tribes.
• The ruling can still be appealed, and the Koi Nation has already announced plans to challenge it.

Judge Rita F. Lin delivered the ruling on September 22, finalizing an earlier decision that sided with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR). FIGR operates the Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, the largest gaming property in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Koi Nation had envisioned a 400-room hotel and a 530,000-square-foot casino featuring 2,750 slot machines and more than 100 table games. For a small band of Pomo Indians without an existing land base, the development was framed as a long-overdue opportunity. The tribe said in a statement:

“The Koi Nation has fought for generations for a land base upon which to secure a future for the Koi people.”

FIGR sued the U.S. Department of the Interior twice, arguing the agency ignored required consultations and improperly recognized the Koi’s ties to the land. Judge Lin agreed, writing that Interior had “railroaded the (Graton) tribe at every turn” during the approval process.

The Department of the Interior defended its earlier decision, citing “volumes of technical, scientific, and historical data.” But the court dismissed government arguments that the land should remain in trust while appeals continued. Instead, Judge Lin concluded that “FIGR has met its burden for the requested injunctive relief reversing the land-into-trust transaction.”

Reaction was immediate. Local residents in the Shiloh neighborhood had long raised alarms about traffic, wildfire evacuation challenges, and crime risks if a casino opened nearby. Governor Gavin Newsom and several state officials also opposed the project.

Although the Koi Nation retains ownership of the land, the tribe cannot develop a casino unless the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturns the ruling. The Koi said it remains “confident that justice will prevail” as it prepares its next legal step.

Meanwhile, the ruling represents a win for Graton Rancheria, which already runs a major casino just 15 miles away. For Sonoma County, the judgment temporarily cools the heated debate over new tribal gaming development in the region, though the conflict is far from over.

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